


The ruby eyes

by MidnightFrenzy



Category: Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity (Video Game), The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Eventual Romance, F/M, I just want to give my big boy Sooga some love, I just want to see some Sheikah/Yiga ship, May contain spoilers for AoC main story, My First Fanfic, Starts a few days before AoC events, Steamy things maybe?, Uncomplete work so I may plan some unexpected stuff, Weird ship but don't worry I'll make it work somehow, Work In Progress, sooga survives, sorry english is not my first language
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-17
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-12 22:07:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,901
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29516469
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MidnightFrenzy/pseuds/MidnightFrenzy
Summary: The young Sheikah Impa is tasked with assisting the royalty of Hyrule in their mission to combat the return of Calamity Ganon. This obligation will be hindered by a certain officer of the Yiga clan, Sooga, who must stop the protagonists to ensure the victory of the calamity. What will happen between them? What will be the fate of Hyrule?
Relationships: Impa/Sooga
Comments: 6
Kudos: 14





	1. An unexpected guest

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first work, I know it may be an unexpected ship but I wanted to experiment with some ''Sheikah/Yiga working together'' plot. This work is in progress, so it may go for some unplanned ways or take weird turns. Also, this work is translated directly from Spanish, my main language, so sorry if it has some grammar issues. Anyway, enjoy and please, comment what you think about this fic so I can read your suggestions :)

A light summer breeze fluttered silently across the rooftops of Kakariko village, gliding slowly down to the ground, gently stroking the short green grass, which responded by leaning and rocking back and forth slowly. Despite the peaceful atmosphere that reigned in the clear and silent night, a figure burst into this landscape, slowly crossing the entrance to the small town, looking tired but determined to, at least, make it home without losing her composure along the long path.

The figure belonged to a young woman from the Sheikah tribe, with her characteristic silver hair, partially gathered in a high bun, and the rest resting and falling down her back like a cascade of ash, until it ended almost at the height of the knees in a nice red bow. On her forehead was a drawing of the representative symbol of the Sheikah, an open eye with three triangles as eyelashes and a huge tear falling down. Her eyes, the distinctive ruby color of those belonging to her tribe, rested under her heavy lids, accompanying her downcast and fatigued posture, which was only disturbed when she occasionally exhaled a sigh. A strange rectangular artifact rested between the girl's arms. It seemed to be made of stone, but on the front it had a glass screen, now black when turned off, while on the back was the same Sheikah symbol that the young woman had on her forehead.

The young woman did not have to walk far after arriving at the village, as her house was only a few meters from the entrance path. Her home, compared to the rest of her town, seemed like a mansion. Before her stood a huge two-story wooden cabin, accompanied by long stairs that, although analyzed from an aesthetic perspective, combined very well with the style of the construction, they seemed designed to take away little by little the girl’s little determination left after the hard day with each step. 

After what seemed like an eternity, the figure entered the house, throwing to the ground carelessly the sack she carried with various instruments that she used during the day. After this, she went upstairs, cursing on the way to whoever was the malevolent being who invented the stairs, and after arriving she collapsed on her soft bed, careful not to crush the rectangular artifact that she still held. After closing her eyelids for a few seconds, careful not to fall asleep, she held the object in front of her, thinking of the potential within this creation. She thought of the words she had addressed to King Rhoam and everyone present on the Hyrule council a few hours ago referring to this curious instrument: ''A piece of ancient technology that allows anyone access to various functions, from taking photographs to paralyzing enemies''. It seemed too good to be true, and yet it was, and she had it in her hands.

In recent months, all of Hyrule had turned all the efforts in order to prepare for the return of the calamity, the return of Ganon, a being of pure evil that cursed the kingdom since ancient times. She recalled how, about a year ago, she heard about the news of the announcement of Ganon's return, supported by a seer who urgently communicated his vision to the royalty, suggesting research the possible relics of technology that may help combat his return. It had been known for quite some time that relics from unknown times had been buried throughout Hyrule, apparently designed by the Sheikah to combat the calamity, but they fell forgotten in time. Given the situation, the king ordered exhaustive searches and investigations to find these relics. Thus, the four divine beasts, the guardians, and the Sheikah towers were found, which would be used as support to aid in the battle against Ganon. The artifact she held, which they called the ''Sheikah Slate'', could help them control the guardians, or teleport to these towers, among other functions such as attracting and manipulating metal objects, creating ice blocks, materializing bombs...

Even with all this preparation, there were two pieces missing. First of all, the holy sword, which, despite being located, did not yet have a wielder. There were several candidates, including the princess's knight, Link, although the opportunity had not yet been given to prove the young man worthy of the sword that seals the darkness. And secondly, the sacred power of the one chosen by the goddess, in this case Princess Zelda. Despite the exhaustive meditation sessions and all the effort put into by the young woman, her power did not seem to awaken, and this instilled more and more distrust, not only in the kingdom's entourage, which even made fun of the princess, but her own father, King Rhoam, who daily pressured his daughter to try harder and harder. This situation filled the heart of the young Sheikah with indignation and pity towards her friend Zelda, whom she had known since they were children, because she could feel the sacrifice and pain that she was going through. Sometimes she wondered if the goddesses were really collaborating to help in Hyrule's survival, or if they were secretly on Ganon's side, but her morality kept her from thinking about possible profanities.

She decided to get out of bed and started to leave the house. She placed the Sheikah slate in a drawer on her desk, among several of the books she was reading before setting out on the journey to Hyrule Castle. Leaving the huge hut, she lumbered down the stairs and made her way to the statue of the goddess Hylia that stood in the small pond in front of her home. She knelt before the statue, which was adorned with a cute cloth apron, probably put by some funny little girl. She took with both hands some of the water from the pond, which, despite being at rest, contained more crystalline and cleaner water than the one in the lake of the lovers, probably for the protection and blessing of the sacred statue. With this water she wiped her face, and suddenly the girl felt much more clear and rested. After making multiple prayers to the statue for a few minutes, she got up and prepared to return to her home.

As soon as she entered, she noticed an air more disturbed than when she left. Her intuition made her climb quickly but silently upstairs toward her room. As soon as she poked her head out she saw a burly figure rummaging through her belongings. The male figure, hidden behind a white mask, in a crimson red suit, which also dangerously wore two windcleavers, noticed the young woman's presence and turned to her. Instantly the girl noticed the symbol of the Sheikah that adorned the mask of the stranger, but this time in an inverted way, marked with a scar that crossed from the left side to the middle. It was the symbol of the Yiga clan, a clan settled in the Gerudo desert, made up of Sheikah traitors to the crown, who allied themselves with Ganon hundreds of years ago. She also noticed how his hand came dangerously close to the drawer where the Sheikah slate was kept. Immediately the young woman threw one of the two short kodachi swords that she always carried, almost reaching the Yiga soldier in the hand that was going to open the drawer. The blademaster immediately lunged at the young woman, who responded by gracefully dodging him and taking her opportunity to place the blade of her other short sword brushing the soldier's throat:

\- Who the hell are you and what are you doing here?! What are you looking for?! Answer immediately! - ordered the girl.

\- You are Impa, right? It is true that you are a good Sheikah fighter. – the Yiga blademaster replied smugly with his low voice.

\- So what if I am?! What the hell are you looking for?!

\- I'm sorry I can't stay to chat with you, but my master and my companions are waiting for me in our base, unfortunately I will have to return empty-handed because of you, miss.

That said, the Yiga soldier disappeared in a cloud of smoke, an escape technique widely used by both his clan and the Sheikah. Impa quickly checked the drawer, luckily the Sheikah slate was still safe. She thought that that soldier probably followed her all the way and took advantage of her when she left the hut to search among her belongings for something that could give them information about what is planned to fight the calamity. She safely closed all the windows and doors in the house, and hid the slate under a loose plank in the floor. With this done, Impa promised herself to inform the king about this incident at dawn, and she lay down on her bed and tried to sleep, but she could barely rest due to the fear that that soldier would return to finish the job. And she thought that she would get some rest for once...


	2. The master and his lackey

The Yiga blademaster, who quickly teleported to the entrance of his clan base after fleeing from Kakariko, sighed heavily in a mixture of exhaustion and anger. He fled the mission empty-handed, all because of this girl. How could he be so stupid to underestimate her and leave himself so exposed? He could have tried to get away from her and knock her out, but he risked making too much noise and attracting the attention of the entire village. That rectangular device that the girl carried all the trip, the Sheikah slate, was extremely valuable, and he had missed a perfect opportunity to get hold of it. The worst thing is that he still had to tell the result of his assignment to his master, Kohga, who would surely reprimand him for his failure. At the end of the day, he was the right hand of the head of the Yiga clan, he had to set an example for the other members who, although some of them put effort into their missions, most were objectively quite useless and incompetent.

He crossed the entrance to the hideout and made his way to one of his master's chambers, where he used to spend most of the day. After knocking on the door, he entered, seeing how his master finished devouring the tenth banana in an hour:

\- Oooh, it's you Sooga, I was already wondering how you were doing! Come on in man, show me what you stole from that stupid Sheikah counselor! - said this, he sat up in his seat and threw the peel of the recently eaten banana to a huge pile of peels that was next to him, which did not seem to have even a couple of hours.

\- Master Kohga, I... - he knelt before his master, staring at the ground in shame.

\- What's wrong? Come on, show me what you got.

\- Master, I'm sorry but... I couldn't steal anything from the girl... - Sooga replied with a low and embarrassed voice.

\- What?! But it was a super easy mission! You just had to spy on her and wait for her to get distracted to steal that... how was it called... that Sheikah thing, anyway, it was something very important! - the little man began to stomp the ground in frustration, causing his prominent belly to rock up and down.

\- I know master, but I did not manage to find the Sheikah slate in time, and she discovered me while rummaging through her things, I tried to immobilize her but somehow she slipped away and ended up putting a knife to my throat, I didn't want to continue the fight in case I called the attention.

\- Bullshit! I held you in very high regard Sooga! With that artifact in our possession we could have screwed them right!

\- I'm very sorry master, I promise that I will not disappoint you again. - he put his hand on his chest with confidence, but behind his mask he was red with embarrassment and anger at his failure.

Kohga, who had turned his back on his disciple, looked over his shoulder, and a few seconds later he turned to face him:

\- Well Sooga, don’t worry, I will not take into account this absolute failure of yours. The goodness in my heart is too much to punish my best lackey, I trust that in the next mission you will not disappoint me. - he said benevolently as he patted his second-in-command on the shoulder.

\- And so I assure you, master, I will not fail you again.

\- Great, because I was going to assign one to you right now! - Kohga exclaimed as he took another banana from the bowl he had on the side table.

\- Oh, what is it about? - Sooga asked.

\- According to one of our spies in Hyrule Castle, the researchers in the Hateno Village laboratory are making quick progress with the control and use of that ancient technology. Your goal is to go there and loot everything there is. Even if what you bring is of little use to us, we may interfere with their attempts to prepare for Ganon's return.

\- All right master, tomorrow at dawn I will start my way there, I will not disappoint you.

With that said, Sooga got up and left his master's quarters, leaving him gulping down another piece of his favorite fruit, making his way to his own chamber. It was obviously not as luxurious and comfortable as his master's, but it was quite a bit more welcoming than the other soldiers' rooms.

As soon as he closed the door he collapsed on the bed placed in the center of the room. His body, although accustomed to long and tedious sessions of training and continuous effort, seemed to hurt more because of the humiliating situation that had just happened than because of the exhaustion of his physique throughout the day. He had never failed his master like that, least of all on a mission as important as that. The fact that he had been defeated by a girl like Impa, a Sheikah, directly hurt his pride. He was the greatest referent of his clan, and he shouldn't show such weakness to a member of a rival tribe.

Sooga sat up and removed the mask he was wearing, along with the matching balaclava to his Yiga uniform and the multiple ornaments he wore daily, plus the two heavy windcleavers that hung on either side of his hips. He took some water from a jug on the table next to his bed, wiped his face, and got up. He opened the window in his room, which was one of the few in the Yiga hideout that showed an open space, and leaned out for fresh air. On the horizon there was only sand, mountains, more mountains and more sand. The night in the desert, which was normally the hottest and most hellish place in the day, was cold and silent, only slightly disturbed by the soft noise of the sand dunes moving in the wind. Miles beyond was Gerudo town, home to the race of the Gerudo women, a tribe native to the desert, the main rival of the Yiga. Sooga took a deep breath, closing his tired lids over his ruby red eyes, enjoying the coolness of the desert night, trying not to think about what happened in Kakariko. He ran the palm of his hand through his ash-colored hair, and yawned silently as he gazed out at the scenery. "I'll get revenge on that Sheikah..." he said to himself. And he thought that he would get some rest for once...


	3. The attack on Hateno Lab

As soon as she woke up from the little sleep she got after the restless night, Impa decided to write an urgent letter to King Rhoam. Even if nothing had happened in the end, she thought the wisest thing to do would be to warn him, as she knew that the Yiga clan would act again, most likely to try to hurt Zelda. She wrote a short and direct message, telling what happened that night, and as soon as she finished writing it, she rolled it up and tied it to the leg of one of the carrier pigeons that she had. She would normally wait for the postman to arrive, but she didn't want to take any risks and preferred to use the faster method. She sent the white dove flying, which quickly took flight towards Hyrule Castle.

The young Sheikah started to dress and prepare for the day. She had planned to visit her big sister, Purah, at the laboratory in Hateno village. Some time ago the older of the two sisters had decided to become independent and stop living with Impa, to stay in the recently built Hateno laboratory to investigate together with a team of Sheikah scientists the properties of the ancestral technology. Although Impa was interested in these creations and their potential to help the royal family, in part she could not forget that, because of this, her tribe was threatened in the past to change its lifestyle to the one that most Sheikah people currently practised, for the fear of the hylians for a rebellion that would topple the Hyrule royalty. Most decided to accept the proposal and put technology aside, although others did not want to bow to royalty, and formed the clan in the depths of the Gerudo desert, the Yiga clan, with which she had already had a couple of confrontations, not counting the one from the night before. Due to fear of the calamity that Ganon would cause, it was decided to re-investigate this type of Sheikah technology, so many of the tribe returned to the occupation of their ancestors.

After having breakfast and preparing for the trip, she set out to start the trip to Hateno, but not before taking the Sheikah slate and carrying it secured in her backpack. After a couple of hours walking the trail to East Necluda, she finally reached the village, which was in full swing on that sunny day. After climbing a large hill that ran through the town, she arrived at the laboratory, which was built in the form of a tower, housing Purah's room at the top, and on the ground floor a warehouse that served as a laboratory for researchers. Outside, in addition, there was an oven with a large blue flame, which seemed to feed the laboratory with ancestral energy. As she entered, she was greeted with a warm hug from her older sister:

\- Impa! We finally meet! How are you little sis? We have a lot to tell each other! - Purah said as she hugged her younger sister tightly.

\- I’m fi-ne... but... please... let me breathe! - Impa answered with difficulty.

\- Oh, hehehe, sorry dear. - she said, letting go of her, a bit embarrassed.

The Sheikah woman was slightly shorter than her younger sister, with her silver hair tied in a bun, with a red streak running down her bangs, adorned with her red glasses that she used to see from afar. She wore a characteristic beige lab coat, over a dress that ended in a navy blue thigh high skirt. Inside the lab were a couple of Sheikah researchers, who looked at the sisters disinterestedly while thinking about their business. Purah led Impa to the central table and they sat around it, where some blueprints that appeared to be those of a guardian lay on it:

\- How have you been these days? - she asked her younger sister.

\- Well, fine, although... something quite unpleasant happened to me yesterday...

\- What happened to you? - Purah asked worriedly.

\- Well, you remember that you gave me the Sheikah slate to test it before giving it to King Rhoam, right? - she said as she took the device out of her backpack and rested it on her sister's lap. - Well, last night, after being in the castle meeting with the king and the other councilors, a soldier from the Yiga clan assaulted me to try to steal it, or at least I think so.

\- Really?! Did he do something to you?! - asked Purah, startled.

\- No, luckily I managed to immobilize him and the coward fled. But it seems that they know what you are doing here, and they want to steal all your progress. - suddenly the other two Sheikah scientists looked up to her, interested in what Impa was warning.

\- For Hylia, we have to be much more careful. We should ask the king to bring guards or something... - she said as she wrapped her arms around the Sheikah slate.

\- Don't worry, this morning I sent him a carrier pigeon telling him what happened, I'm sure that as soon as he receives the letter he will get to work-

Suddenly, a large cloud of smoke engulfed the entire laboratory. In a blink of an eye they were surrounded by several Yiga soldiers, who laughed at them with their strident laughter. In front of them appeared the same Yiga blademaster that Impa had met the night before, Sooga, who approached the two sisters threateningly:

\- Wow, good see you again, Impa. I didn't expect to see you here. - he said with a laugh crossing his arms on his chest.

\- Neither did I, but seeing how you escaped like a coward, I am not surprised that you want a revenge. - Impa replied looking at Sooga in a challenging way, smiling like an animal that shows its teeth to show dominance. Sooga, somehow, noticed how Impa's gaze penetrated behind his mask towards his own eyes. He couldn't believe that he was somehow intimidated by a young woman like her:

\- You are very daring, but soon we will shut your mouth, insolent Sheikah. - Sooga answered threateningly with a low tone of voice that reverberated in Impa's chest.

As Sooga challenged the young woman, Purah took the opportunity to move her hands slowly and turn on the Sheikah slate. Before Sooga or another footsoldier knew it, Purah activated the stasis power of the slate, causing the Yiga clan members to freeze for a few seconds:

\- Let's go, let's take this opportunity! - Purah yelled at her sister and the other scientists.

The researchers left the lab, but when Purah turned around, Impa was still inside, drawing her kodachi swords:

\- What are you doing Impa? Let's go!

\- Run away, I'll stop them, we can't let them steal your work! - Impa said as she pulled out some kunai knives and prepared for when the paralyzing effect would end.

\- But Impa! What if something happens to you?!

\- I'll be fine, just warn the people in the town, as soon as they are surrounded they will flee as they always do!

Purah hesitated a bit, but in the end she ran to warn the townspeople, but not before throwing the Sheikah slate at Impa, who caught it in the air.

As soon as Sooga realized the situation, he saw that neither the sisters nor the other Sheikah were there with them. Somehow they had instantly teleported without him or any of his men noticing. Have they used some kind of technology?

\- Hey, I'm still here, you bunch of rats!

Sooga and the others turned towards the voice. Impa was at the entrance, carrying her short swords and several kunai knives, ready to attack them if necessary. Sooga noticed the rectangular device that she had tied to her belt, was that what his master had asked him to steal the night before?

One of the Yiga soldiers decided to take the initiative and directly attack Impa, quickly charging with a vicious sickle, but the young woman dodged and kicked the soldier on the side with impressive force, knocking him to the ground. Seeing this, several of the soldiers charged at her, determined to put an end to the girl, but the young woman used one of her Sheikah techniques to teleport, dodging the soldiers. After teleporting behind them, she used the stasis power again to freeze the Yiga footsoldiers. Impa took the opportunity to quickly summon her technique of shadow clones, which materialized in a light blue color behind her. The clones began attacking the Yiga men that, when freed from the paralyzing power, flew towards the walls of the laboratory because of the accumulated force inflicted by Impa and her clones while frozen. Sooga, who could barely understand what had just happened, drew his two windcleaver swords:

\- You insolent girl, you take advantage of your technology to win in combat, but deep down you are weak.

\- If I am so weak, why are your men attacking me in a pack? Come get me if you dare, you traitor!

Sooga charged to the young woman in a horizontal attack to her side, which Impa blocked with her two short swords. Sooga quickly flipped backward in a somersault, and in a blink he brandished his two swords crosswise, sending a gust of slicing wind toward her. Impa managed to dodge this attack, but at that moment Sooga threw some kunai knives towards her, which she managed to block barely. Sooga prepared to charge towards her in a quick and strong linear attack. Impa thought it was the perfect opportunity to use the cryonis rune of the slate, and proceed to create a block of ice in front of Sooga, which he collided with while trying to get to her. Impa took advantage of this and began to attack the Yiga officer, who could barely respond to her attacks. Sooga quickly kicked her, making her fall to the ground, and when he thought he might fight back and defeat her, he heard one of the voices of his soldiers behind him:

\- Sooga! There are people coming for us!

Sooga turned, and indeed, the entire town of Hateno were advancing rapidly towards the laboratory. Sooga, who although wanted to continue the fight with Impa, did not want to risk his men, yelled:

\- We have to retire! – and then the Yiga blademaster teleported out of there along with his soldiers.

Purah quickly entered the lab, saw her sister, who was lying on the ground, and ran to her aid:

\- Impa! Are you okay?! - she yelled, kneeling before her.

\- Yes, don't worry… - she replied as she slowly got up. - I managed to prevent them from destroying anything, or so I think...

\- Oh little sis, thank godesses we have you here, otherwise they would have destroyed everything. I don't know how you could hold out with several of those Yiga against you.

\- Well, this artifact of yours has been very useful to me. - she removed the slate from her belt and handed it to her sister.

\- That's great! It means that it will be of great use to us to face Ganon's servants if the calamity happens.

\- Well, I'm glad I'm your test subject. - Impa replied sarcastically and laughed along with Purah.


	4. The mysterious seer

Sooga quickly fled back to their base along with his men. He couldn't believe it. That damn Sheikah girl had come back to mess with his plans for the second time. What would his master think of him? Possibly Kohga would kick him out of the clan for committing such a shameful act...

\- Hey Sooga! That girl's got you dominated! - One of the soldiers commented mischievously as they returned to the base.

Several of the other clan members laughed alongside him. He couldn't be mad at them because they were right, so he just kept quiet with his gaze glued to the ground. Even despite the rage in Sooga's heart, he couldn't help certain feelings of interest towards Impa. In the few times that someone managed to surpass him at something, Sooga developed some interest in his rivals, how they managed to be the best, and what he could do to defeat them. And while it is true that he felt something similar towards the girl, he could not quite determine if it was rivalry or it was something different.

As they reached the Yiga clan base, Sooga kept thinking about the future. What if these two failures of his cause Ganon to be defeated? Could they do something at this point to stop the Hylians? Sooga was not sure of what would happen after the advent of the calamity. Even if Ganon were to emerge victorious and the royal family was defeated, how would the Yiga know for sure that he would side with them and not exterminate them as well? After all, Ganon is not an intelligent and rational being, but a manifestation of hatred and evil. The purpose of the clan is to overthrow the royal family and establish a new order in Hyrule, but what if there is no Hyrule because of Ganon?

Upon reaching the base, Sooga went to his master's quarters to inform him of the outcome of the mission. Knocking on the door, Sooga realized that his boss was talking to someone else:

\- Is it you, Sooga? Come in, we have company! - Kohga answered behind the door.

Upon entering the chambers, Sooga saw his master sitting down sipping a banana smoothie next to an unknown man. The man wore dark clothes, with almond-shaped brown eyes with noticeable dark circles and shoulder-length dark brown hair, decorated with two small braids, one loose near his left cheek and one that crossed his face from his left eye to the pointed ear. The slim-built man, who appeared to be of Hylian race, wore a black hood, now pulled down, that fell down his back like a torn cape, along with other dark garments with gold accessories. The center of his forehead was adorned with a malice eye circlet, which contrasted with his pale skin.

\- Sooga, right now you catch me in a meeting of the highest importance. Neither more nor less than with Ganon’s prophet!

\- G-Ganon’s… prophet? - asked Sooga quite puzzled.

\- Exactly! This is our chance to help Lord Ganon conquer Hyrule and overthrow the royal family! - Kohga exclaimed, jumping up and down in his seat.

The mysterious man, who was having some tea, rose gracefully from his seat, setting his cup on the table, and bowed briefly to Sooga:

\- I shall introduce myself to you... My name is Astor, and I am a humble seer who has been blessed to be the right hand of Lord Ganon. - he introduced himself as he ducked down with a voice so smug it made Sooga feel somewhat disgusted.

Sooga didn't know what to think. How the hell can his master make sure that he really is an ally of Ganon and not just some madman or prankster?

\- Come on Sooga, sit down with us and so we will update you! - Kohga exclaimed, patting an empty seat to his left.

Sooga quickly took a seat next to his master, constantly feeling Astor's piercing gaze on him:

\- Well, now that we are all three gathered here, why don't you give us a summary of your plans, Astor? - Kohga asked the seer.

\- Well, in short, I've come to your doorstep to ask for your cooperation in my plan to help in Ganon’s resurgence and make sure no one gets in his way. In my visions I have been able to see a future where Ganon successfully revives, leading the kingdom of Hyrule to its sudden fall, but to achieve this, we have to make sure that the royalty does not get the two most important pieces of the ritual to seal Ganon: the holy sword, destroyer of evil, and the sacred power of the chosen by the goddess. At this very moment, the King Rhoam and Princess Zelda intend to gather four chosen from the different races of Hyrule: a gerudo, a zora, a goron and a rito, to pilot four ancient machines known as the divine beasts, which can be of great help to face the calamity. In addition, they also plan to recover the master sword, which is buried in a pedestal in the confines of the Lost Woods, and that only the chosen Hylian, who appears to be the princess's appointed knight, can wield. As for Zelda's sacred powers, they don't give any signs of awakening yet, but they might wake up in time to-

\- If you excuse me for a moment ... - Sooga interrupted, receiving an irritated look from the seer. - How can we make sure that he's really the one chosen by Ganon and not just any fanatic?

\- Well, now that I think about it... We cannot trust anyone who comes to request something as important as our collaboration... - Kohga reaffirmed thinking while both Yiga members watched Astor, who responded by looking annoyed at Sooga.

\- Y-yes, it's understandable... If you excuse me, I want to show you something that will make you have no doubt about who I am.

With that said, the seer got up and picked up a sack that he seemed to have brought with him. From the sack he extracted a strange artifact, which looked similar to a guardian, but much smaller in size, pitched black with a big red eye, that emanated a strange, fuchsia aura full of malice rotating around it. Astor placed the little guardian on the table in front of the two Yiga members, who seemed to have become somewhat defensive upon seeing such a machinery. Next, Astor summoned an artifact resembling a great ancient core, but filled with the distinctive fuchsia color of Ganon's malice. The seer used this artifact to project a cloud of constellations, which soon became a shared vision for the three men. In the vision, Ganon could be seen, reincarnated in his entire being as a beast full of evil, ravaging Hyrule Castle, annihilating everything in his path:

\- Can you see it? With my powers I can project these visions that Ganon has sent me, it is the future that he wants us to achieve. And this… -he said pointing to the dark guardian. - is a guardian possessed by Ganon himself, who will help us defeat that princess and her knight.

After a few seconds where Kohga and Sooga were spellbound by the visions, Astor deactivated the ancient core and the projection disappeared. The seer then slowly sat down again, and said with a determined look towards Kohga:

\- But I'm afraid I can't do this alone, I need the help of your organization, Master Kohga, to help me stop those impertinent royal slaves. Just think about it, if you help me, Ganon will know that you are on his side, and I will make sure your clan reigns over the new Hyrule.

Sooga was not at all convinced by this. He knew that with all this demonstration, the seer seemed to be somehow connected to Ganon, but it all seemed strange to him. How could he be sure Astor wouldn't betray them? And how is Astor so sure that Ganon had personally chosen him to carry out his plan, and he wasn't being used as well? Something didn't seem to click…

\- It seems that you are indeed important, mister seer. Well, if it is Lord Ganon's wish, we have to fulfill it! I'll have you settle in a decent room here and we can start the operation tomorrow. - Kohga replied as he shook hands with Astor, who was smiling coldly and maliciously.

\- Master, can we talk alone for a minute? - Sooga requested under Astor's frivolous gaze.

\- Oh, sure Sooga. If you excuse us...

Astor nodded and left the room, but even with him outside the young Yiga felt his piercing eyes on his back.

\- Master, forgive my multiple intrusions, but I don't think we should trust that man.

\- Sooga, this is our chance to gain a privileged place as Ganon's servants! Even if the little seer guy wants to use us, which is very likely to be the case, if Ganon sees us actively participating in his cause, we will easily take control of the new Hyrule. Trust me Sooga, I know what I'm doing. - He answered putting his hand on the young man's shoulder.

\- Okay, I trust you, master...

\- By the way, how was your mission in Hateno's lab? – The boss asked suddenly.

A chill ran down Sooga's spine, as he knelt with his gaze glued to the ground before his master:

\- Master Kohga, forgive me, but I couldn't loot anything...

\- And why was that? - Kohga asked surprised.

\- The damn Sheikah girl, Impa, from whom I tried to steal the Sheikah slate the other night, was in the laboratory, and with that damn technology she managed to defeat me and our soldiers... - said the young man with resentment and anger in his voice.

\- Hmm... It seems that such technology is quite powerful, seeing how they can easily defeat a group of my men. - Kohga was thoughtful for a few seconds. - But hey, the best thing we can do now is focusing on following Astor's plans. You are forgiven Sooga, you can retire. - He finished with a wave of his hand.

-Thank you, master...- Sooga answered gratefully as he got up and left the room.

At the exit, he found himself face to face with the seer, who gave him a suspicious and irritated look. Sooga did not want to interact with the misterious man and went straight to his room, where he took the opportunity to remove his mask and balaclava and rub his eyes and forehead. His head was spinning around and he didn't quite know how to feel. He only knew one thing for sure: he would meet Impa again, and he would manage to surpass her, even if it meant allying with Astor to thwart the royal family's plans.


	5. The advent of the Calamity

The more time he spent cooperating with him, Sooga became more and more suspicious of Astor's intentions. In the days that he had been working with them, he had arranged rather risky plans. In one of them, he convinced Kohga to impersonate the Gerudo chief, Urbosa, while she was away, to order her guards to arrest and eliminate Zelda. But, as Sooga expected, the operation was a failure, and if he hadn't arrived in time to rescue his master, Kohga would be less than mashed bananas right now. After that unsuccessful mission, Sooga and his men, obeying the orders of the seer, tried to intercept Zelda and her escort in the citadel in the center of Hyrule and, although he was almost successful in killing the young princess, her knight, the Hylian named Link, saved her at the last minute. That's when he realized that Zelda possessed a mini-guardian similar to Astor's.

The Yiga officer, upon returning to his clan base, reported the news to both his master and Astor:

\- Those despicable pests... How did they manage to get a guardian like my harbinger? Well... It doesn't matter, with or without the guardian, I won't let the future be altered so easily. - the seer said in frustration as he summoned the evil guardian to spy on Zelda's next movements.

-Well, seeing the bad luck we have had trying to liquidate that princess, I would not be surprised if your plans do not go as expected...- Kohga commented while he ate a banana and looked sideways at Astor.

-Rather, the ones you should blame for these failures are both your men and yourself, Kohga. If you were minimally competent, Zelda would have been dead for days. - He replied cruelly looking suspiciously at the two Yiga members.

Kohga, who almost choked in surprise on the half-eaten banana, got up and began to vent his anger in the form of tantrums and insults towards the seer, who did not flinch and continued to pay attention to the guardian's visions. Sooga put his hand on one of his windcleavers, fearing that the situation might get more tense, but such a thing did not happen.

After a few minutes where the fury of the master was gradually dissipating, Kohga sat back with his feet crossed on the table, trying to preserve his little composure after his fit of rage. Then, Astor turned to them and informed them of his vision:

\- As I feared, the princess intends to go to the lost woods to find the master sword. Seeing how inept you are, I will have to end Zelda's life personally. I can't tolerate them getting the sacred sword, it could make things much more complicated for us if that happens.

With that said, the seer left the room, leaving Sooga and his master alone with the possessed guardian:

\- Ha, yes, you try if you are so good, mister so called ''Ganon's prophet''. How dare he call me incompetent? - Kohga exclaimed with annoyance.

Sooga glanced at the guardian. He knew that Astor would not be able to defeat Zelda or the champions, least of all this Hylian knight. After all, the future couldn't be changed so easily.

︿︿︿︿︿︿︿︿︿︿︿︿︿︿︿︿︿︿︿︿ 

This couldn't go on like this. That damn seer had fooled them enough. He promised them that he would not allow the Hylians to find their base, and there they were, at the top of the Gerudo highlands, watching as the clan base was destroyed by Urbosa, Zelda and Link. His master was beside him, muttering inaudible things, probably curses at Astor. Luckily he didn’t get injured, but who knows what they would have done to him if Sooga hadn't intervened in time.

Suddenly, they heard footsteps behind them. Turning around, Sooga saw the infamous seer walking calmly towards them. His master got up and exclaimed, stamping on the ground:

\- Hey, prophecy man! You missed the part where we get walloped!

Sooga approached menacingly towards the seer, who was looking at him obnoxiously. Then, he violently grabbed the Hylian by the neck of his clothes, lifting him without difficulty:

\- I am afraid we cannot overlook this failure… seer. - he said with his low voice full of anger.

\- Can’t do it! - Kohga joined him.

Astor was not intimidated by the Yiga officer, and said with a despicable smile:

\- Fate decides all… even this defeat. - he commented as if he perfectly knew what to say in that situation. – As you well know, if you decide to turn against me, you would make an enemy of Calamity Ganon.

Sooga grunted in frustration and hatred towards the seer, and violently released him, pushing him back a few steps.

\- So you see then… - Astor commented between an almost inaudible laugh. – Good. We will need each other’s help if we are to achieve our grand purpose. In the name of Calamity Ganon, you and I are bound. Let us turn our eyes to the task before us, yes?

Sooga didn't want to keep obeying that damn prophet. He knew that even his master thought the same, but they couldn't get rid of that commitment so easily. That same night, Astor informed them that the calamity would occur the next morning, and that to support Ganon they should gather his men in Hyrule field. He knew the seer would try to betray them one last time, but he would not hesitate to fight him if necessary.

︿︿︿︿︿︿︿︿︿︿︿︿︿︿︿︿︿︿︿︿ 

\- What’s your game, three-eyes?! - Kohga shouted seeing how the soul of the last of his soldiers was detached from his body, which fell inert next to another dozen of them.

\- My, you really are slow. -With a wave of his hand, the souls of the Yiga soldiers were collected into the spinning artifact of the seer, which created a large cloud of constellations. – Despite our best efforts, the enemy has only grown stronger. To succeed, we must adjust our strategy. - Four figures appeared around Astor, the blights corresponding to each divine beast. – Finally, the two of you can actually be of some use, for once in your lives!

Astor summoned a malice clone of the Hylian knight, Link, that pounced on Sooga, who responded by sending him back with his two windcleavers.

\- Master Kohga! Quick, make your escape! - he yelled as he fought the shadow clone, who tried to attack him from above.

Kohga turned to leave, but something inside him prevented him from taking another step. He couldn't let his best man die just like that.

\- I can’t split, you are my best lackey! - Kohga replied, getting ready to use some of his techniques.

\- In that case, I will protect you, even if it costs me my life! - Sooga claimed, feeling in his heart an enormous pride towards his master.

-A blood sacrifice for the Calamity… Fate gives you this role… and you will play it! - The seer's laugh echoed in the young man's ears. Despite the danger he faced fighting against the prophet of Ganon, he would not let himself be so easily defeated.

︿︿︿︿︿︿︿︿︿︿︿︿︿︿︿︿︿︿︿︿ 

Impa accompanied Zelda in a private meeting with one of the few Hylian captains who survived the coming of the calamity. Thanks to the will of the goddesses, Zelda’s power had awakened the night before, managing to stop Astor's advance and buy time to recruit all of Hyrule's forces to fight Ganon. Still, the casualties they had suffered from the sudden onset of the calamity were numerous, and definitely if they did not have the help of the Gerudo, Rito, Goron and Zora people, they would not even be able to think of facing the cataclysm.

\- Well then, what did you want to tell me? - the princess asked the Hylian captain, who was walking in front of them.

The man suddenly stopped, casting a glance over his shoulder at Zelda and Impa. In less than a blink of an eye, the Hylian captain leapt several feet into the air and landed easily on a rocky ledge above them, then discarded his disguise and revealed his true identity: the Yiga master, Kohga.

\- Huh? What are you pretending? - Impa exclaimed, drawing her short sword and standing in front of Zelda.

The Yiga master, who was staring at the ground with clenched fists, rushed towards them. Impa prepared to fight him, but then Kohga prostrated himself before them, kneeling with his eyes glued to the ground, begging the girls for mercy. This caught the two young women by surprise, who did not know what to think.

\- Please, I beg for your aid! That bloody traitor, Astor, has wiped out a good part of my army, and almost killed my best man! I'll serve you if you want, but you have to help us! - he said in a desperate and somewhat pathetic voice.

Impa and Zelda gave each other a confused look. Was the situation so chaotic that one of their worst enemies decided to ask them for help? Seeing how things were looking, it seemed that the rivalry with the Yiga would have to be temporarily paused...


	6. His saviour

Sooga slowly opened his eyes. His body ached terribly, and on top of all, he was in a stange place he could not recognize. It looked like a tent, but that didn't make any sense. The last thing he could remember was that he was fighting with Link's malice clone and then...

\- Oh, you're already awake. - A female voice broke into the tent.

Sooga turned and sat up on the bed as best as he could with his injured body. Before him was the Sheikah girl who had defeated him the previous days, Impa, who was holding various elixirs and bandages in her arms.

\- What the hell?! Where am I and what are you doing here?! - asked Sooga startled.

\- Calm down or you'll get worse. - the young woman left the items on a table in a corner of the tent. - Your master has asked for our help. Apparently that seer you were cooperating with, Astor, betrayed you and nearly killed you. Luckily your master managed to barely flee with you and begged us to help him, but many of your companions were not so lucky. -Impa related as she mixed various elixirs in a vial that gave off a smoke and a smell that Sooga could not recognize.

\- Master Kohga... surrendering to you? That can't be true, don’t try to fool me you damn Sheikah!

Impa gave him a wry look as she approached him with the strange colored vial in her hands.

\- Look who's talking, for being one of us you despise us a lot. I wonder why.

Sooga then realized his situation. He was only covered in a white blanket stained with his own blood, without his Yiga uniform or his mask, leaving his true identity exposed before the young woman. His body was covered in multiple bandages, which did little to hide the bruises and wounds caused by the fight with Astor. He thought about how, without the help of his master, surely Astor would have taken his soul to invoke some of Ganon's manifestations, as he did with those of his companions.

\- Now shut up and take this. - she offered the drink to the young man, who looked at her suspiciously. - Don't worry, if I tried to do something to you, your master would cut off my head, although you don't have much choice considering the state you are in...

Sooga sighed heavily and took the drink from Impa's hands. He quickly drank the strange elixir, which had a rather tasteless and unpleasant taste. The young woman, meanwhile, noticed the scar on Sooga's face, which crossed from his left eyebrow to the bridge of his nose, being aligned with the mark of his characteristic mask. She couldn't deny that the young man was quite attractive by Sheikah standards, and it didn't help she had seen him nearly naked when bandaging him. ''Godesses, what am I thinking?'' she mused to herself.

\- I-It's a medicinal elixir, it should take effect in a few minutes. Still, you should rest as the battle against Astor takes place.

\- The battle against Astor? - asked the young Yiga.

\- We are organizing all the troops of all the tribes of Hyrule. As soon as they are all gathered, we will attack the castle with all our might. - Impa stated as she picked up some bandages from the table, along with some healing salves.

\- Then I'll help too. I do not intend to leave my master alone during the final fight. - Sooga affirmed decisively.

\- Well, it depends on how well you progress tonight. I'm the only one who knows about sheikah healing and medicine here, so I'll have to take care of you until dawn at least. Then I must go help the princess. - Impa then approached Sooga again, trying to remove a bandage around his left forearm. - Now, if you allow me...

\- D-Don’t worry, I feel better now so I can change them by myself. - he said trying to snatch the clean bandages from the girl's hand.

\- Sure? I promise not to touch anywhere unnecessary... - joked the young woman seeing how the Yiga blushed. He replied embarrassed, growling through his teeth:

-Don't be so insolent, even if my master has given you his services that does not mean you and your friends can have me chained like a dog. At heart we are still enemies, this is just a temporary alliance. I still haven't forgotten about that night in Kakariko or what happened in the lab in Hateno.

\- Look who’s talking, you were the one who broke into my house like a petty thief! - Impa replied angrily.

After arguing for a few seconds, someone interrupted them by opening the tent curtain.

-My my, I didn't think you would conquer her so fast, Sooga! - Kohga commented with a laugh seeing the young couple, who looked at him somewhat embarrassed.

\- Master! Are you okay? - asked the officer, sitting up completely.

\- I am, and I am very happy to see that you are still alive. When I brought you here that didn’t seem the case, but I see that Impa has taken good care of you.

Sooga then shifted his gaze to Impa. Had she really saved him? He found it hard to believe that an enemy like her had helped him in such a way, but that seemed to be the case.

\- Thank you, although with how hesitant and cocky he has awaken, it would have been a better idea to increase the dose of the elixirs a little more...

\- Hahaha, possibly. You can retire to rest, Impa. I'll watch over him for you until dawn. - the Yiga boss said, taking the bandages and ointments from Impa's arms.

\- Okay, but if you need my help call me. - With that said, the young sheikah left the tent, leaving the two Yiga men alone. Kohga then sat in front of Sooga, helping him to change the bloody bandages from his body.

\- Master, I cannot express to you the enormous gratitude that I feel right now. You have saved my life putting yours at risk.

\- Well, you should also be grateful to Princess Zelda, that has agreed to collaborate with us, and to Impa, the one who has cured you with some sheikah techniques and has prevented you from dying.

-Yes, I suppose ... - In his heart, Sooga felt grateful but at the same time in conflict, knowing that his rival had saved him. He really didn't know what to think or feel about her anymore.

\- Although I feel some envy for you. - Kohga continued as he changed a bandage from Sooga’s torso. - I also want a pretty girl to take care of me. - he said mischievously, patting his subordinate on the back.

Sooga laughed with his master. Seeing how things were looking, it seemed that the rivalry with the royalty would have to be temporarily paused...


End file.
